Antecedentes

Albania is a middle-income country that over the past two and half decades has made a significant stride in establishing a consolidated market economy. Due to strong growth performance (annual growth rate at 6%), Albania grew from the poorest nation in Europe in the early 1990s to the status of middle-income country in 2008. Despite the growth trend, the structure of the country’s economy is dominated by small enterprises (95%), which despite having a substantial contribution in terms of both economic growth and employment have limited potential for job creation. With a narrow export and production base, and limited innovation capacities, the competitiveness of Albania’s economy is weak.

UNDP globally and regionally has built a strategic vision that recognizes the importance of creating employment opportunities as a means to addressing both poverty reduction and inequalities and exclusion. Indeed, the first outcome of the recently adopted United Nations Youth System Wide Action Plan focuses on Employment and Entrepreneurship with the intention to ensure greater opportunities for youth to secure decent work and income over the life-cycle, contributing to a virtuous circle of poverty reduction, sustainable development and social inclusion. To support the integration of various youth employment policy objectives through coordinated action, UNDP Albania, in collaboration with other UN agencies has designed and implemented several skills development / employment related interventions.

After years of experience addressing labor supply interventions, UNDP Albania’s strategic vision is to contribute to building a labour-market focused skills development system that is suited to enhance the employment and entrepreneurship aspects of the unemployed in urban and rural areas, while simultaneously addressing the skills needs of those employed in the formal and informal sectors and emerging entrepreneurs.

The ‘SD4E programme – consolidation phase’ will continue to support the Government of Albania in the national VET and Employment reform through a comprehensive approach of institutional capacity building on a macro/policy level, enabling key actors (MFE, NES/NAES and NAVETQ) to deliver coordinated and demand-driven services.

To achieve the programme purpose and finally the programme goal, the programme will focus in three strategic fields that will aim to improve the governance and quality of service provision in VET and employment promotion in Albania.

Outcome 1 The institutional capacity of key actors in VET and Employment (Ministry, NAVETQ, NAES) is strengthened

Outcome 2 The employment service portfolio is based on a balanced demand-and supply-side oriented approach

Outcome 3 A standardized Quality Assurance (QA) framework is in place that improves the image of VET and fosters linkages between school and world of work

The SD4E programme of UNDP, is supporting the Ministry of Finance and Economy to design active labour market measures that aim at the quick transition into employment for the recently laid-off workforce, by supporting the employers with various subsidies. The SD4E programme equipped the central, regional and local structures of the National Agency for Employment and Skills with all the necessary tool and capacities to effectively deliver the newly designed programmes. These programmes have now been officially launched by the Minister of Finance and Economy and have started to be implemented in all the 36 Employment Offices around the country. 

Deberes y responsabilidades

One of the employment promotion measures designed with the support of the SD4E programme and expected to be implemented by the National Agency for Employment and Skills (NAES), is the “Self-Employment Programme”, whose purpose is to reduce unemployment and create new jobs through the promotion of self-employment, capacity building, and direct support to the creation of new businesses.

In line with the approved Decision of the Council of Ministers, the operation guidelines drafted by the working group of NAES, and with the support of the SD4E team, the consultant is expected to support the working group in the following activities:

1. Design and elaborate two training programs content on “entrepreneurship and self-employment” and on “training of the trainers of the Vocational Training Centres”, including both theoretical and interactive modules. The training program will need to focus on core competences of self-employment, business plan design, business management and the trainees’ entrepreneurial potential.;
2. Deliver a training programme of the trainers within the Vocational education and Training providers’ network of the NAES. The beneficiaries of this training will be around 15 ToTs, located in the municipality of Tirana, Shkoder, Diber and Kukes;
3.  Prepare the format of the business idea application, which will be filled out by all the interested unemployed jobseekers, to show interest in the Self Employment Programme. This form will be accompanied with an administrative verification form, which will help the employment offices to verify if all the elements are addressed
4. Prepare the standard business plan template which will be utilized by all the candidates who are trained, pass the final test and are elegible to continue with the application process. The business plan should be accompanied with the necessary evaluation criteria and guidelines.  

Deliverables

The expected deliverables for this individual consultancy will be as follows:

• Completion of the curricula on “Entrepreneurship and self-employment”;
• Completion curricula on “training of the trainers of the VET providers”;
• Completion of all the necessary standard templates for the Business Idea and Business Plan, accompanied with the respective evaluation criteria and guidelines;

Competencias

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgement;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Act as a team player and facilitate team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others;
• Informed and transparent decision-making.

Functional Competencies:

• Strong communication skills (written, spoken, composing, presentation);
• Substantive knowledge of business administration and management;
• Prior experience in training activities and curricula development;
• Political and cultural sensitivity and commitment to UNDP’s development objectives in the country.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Academic Qualifications

• University degree in: economic sciences, social sciences, marketing, business management, etc.  

Work Experience

• Over 3 years of professional experience as consultant and coach in the implementation of processes, continuous improvement, business management, advice to small businesses.
• Previous experience in the designing and delivering training curricula in the fielf of business development;
• Previous experience/familiarity with UNDP or other UN agencies is desirable.

Language

• Full working knowledge of English and Albanian is essential.

Evaluation Procedure

UNDP applies a fair and transparent selection process that would consider both the technical qualification of Individual Consultants as well as their financial proposals. The contract will be awarded to the candidate whose offer:

• Is deemed technically responsive / compliant / acceptable (only technically responsive applications / candidates will be considered for the financial evaluation)
• And has obtained the highest combined technical and financial scores.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max points: 70

Criteria A: Over 3 years of professional experience as consultant and coach in the implementation of processes, continuous improvement, business management, advice to small businesses. – max points: 25

Criteria B:  Educational background– max points: 10

Criteria C: Previous experience in the designing and delivering training curricula in the fielf of business development – max points: 25

Criteria D:  Previous experience/familiarity with UNDP or other UN agencies is desirable - max points 10

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max points: 30

Application Procedure

The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position. Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application.
• Latest personal Curriculum Vitae (CV) including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees, including past experience from similar projects or completed and signed UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SC) and Individual Contracts (IC) – Blank form Download here.
• Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability-please fill in the attached form...  www.un.org.al/sites/default/files/IC_Offerors%20Letter%20to%20UNDP%20Confirming%20Interest%20and%20Availability.docx
• Financial Proposal in ALL - specifying a total lump sum in Albanian Lek
  http://www.un.org.al/doc/Financial%20Offer%20template.doc (The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable -qualitative and quantitative- deliverables . Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR.  In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount-including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).- Please note that with regard to travel component you may provide an average estimated travel cost for one circuit with and without accommodation.
• Copy of Diplomas and copy of Passport. 

* Kindly note that Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal are two separate documents and should both be part of your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

How to Submit the Application:

To submit your application online, please follow the steps below:

• Merge your CV or P11, Financial Proposal Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and cover letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded;
• Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement);
• Click “Apply Now” button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click “Submit Application;”
• Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above);
• You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Due to a large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process